For our music, art, hospitality, fashion and creative communities, the months ahead will represent a period of reawakening. As Johnnie Walker Princes Street sets out to encourage creativity, we spoke to some talented Scots about how they are building connections and preparing for new opportunities.
ANDREW THOMSON AND CLAUDIA IONA VASILU
Clyde Built Radio
Andrew: “I moved back to Glasgow and I was flatmates with Claudia for a year, we started talking about what the radio station could be. I’ve promoted events and ran a record label, part of that has involved travelling and when I’ve been in different cities around the world I’ve been invited on different local community stations. I started to feel like Glasgow was lacking a place like that, an open space where you could meet and talk about music. I wanted to bring together people who were doing cool, interesting stuff and provide a platform that wasn’t there.
People live in their own bubble sometimes, so this is a way to build a connection. We opened the studio hub in February 2020 and six weeks later we had a totally different version of the station due to lockdown. Now we are meeting some of the contributors for the first time face to face and we’ve had guests from out of town able to come by the studio. All the things we wanted when we started the station are happening.”
Claudia: “There were a few false starts but then we finally managed to find a place at the Barras Market on Moncur Street. We wanted to showcase the different music scenes and creative people in Glasgow and Scotland.
There are often times that people in the same city have similar tastes and interests but they never meet, so a lot of what the radio station does is provide that connection. There have been projects that have grown out of that.
Now we are in a position where we can look forward to events, travelling to other places and getting things happening.
We are also looking forward to more collaborations with different radio stations from around Europe and the world.”
www.clydebuiltradio.com
STEVIE MCLAUGHLIN
Head chef at Scotland’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
“We feel like we have been semi-hibernating for so long. Now that we are fully opening up we have so much energy and adrenaline. We have the opportunity to be fully creative and be expressive again.
We are a colourful, forward-thinking bunch of people. We can take the lid off the creativity now. The ethos at the restaurant is simple thing brilliantly done and letting the ingredients shine. Experience is a huge thing for us and for two years we’ve barely been able to welcome people into our homes, let alone a restaurant. There is a natural depth of warmth here for our customers and even just for our team members coming to work every day and I look forward to us being able to express that properly. It’s an exciting time, it almost feels like we are opening a new restaurant again.
The beautiful thing for us is we have access to an abundance of produce and that’s what we want to celebrate. We rely on our suppliers, it is time for us all to put our arms around each other and move things forward.”
www.andrewfairlie.co.uk
KITTI
Singer songwriter
“I feel way more positive than last year. I’ve been playing every Saturday night and the gigs have been busy. The festival scene is picking up and it’s going to be really good this summer. I’m making an album so that will be my main focus.
“People seem to appreciate live music more. There is this anticipation before any gig that I’ve played in the past month or so. It is just like, they are so excited. I feel like people are more willing to buy a ticket and go out for the night to see live music. They will book months ahead.
“Social media plays such a big part in promoting yourself as a musician but now I am gaining new followers through word of mouth. People saying to their pals ‘I went to this gig on Saturday night and you should come next week’.
"It’s building every week. It’s brilliant. I’ve been writing an album, probably for the past 10 years and I think lockdown inspired me in a weird way. I sat down and wrote loads of songs. I feel like feel a lot of people have been deprived of creative ideas, because there’s not been much to do. It worked the opposite way for me and I feel ready to go for it now.
"I have been listening to a lot of old school rock n roll, blues, so there are guitar tones that I had not used that are making their way into my songwriting.
“I think there are so many new artists that are deciding to stay in Scotland to make music. There are record companies here and a network that will support you.
“I’m going to record the album on the Isle of Lewis, a studio called Black Bay that’s right on the water. It’s beautiful.”
www.instagram.com/hiitskitti
CRAIG BLACK
Artist
“I was running my own design studio, then in January last year, just after my daughter was born, I decided to go all in as a visual artist. I got a new studio space in Greenock, just a two minute walk from my mum’s house where I grew up.
“I created a project called the Fusion Series Footballs, it was self-initiated and inspired by the teams playing at the Euros. I had pitched it to UEFA but they didn’t commit. I then spent my own money bringing it to life with photography and production.
“The reaction went berserk online and UEFA eventually got in touch to work on a television promo for one of the quarter final matches. That led to everything that’s happening now.
“My body of work relates to acrylic fusion, layers of acrylic paint that creates patterns and textures. Every work is essentially a limited edition as they are always different.
“I have been doing live performance art in London, with exhibitions coming up in Los Angeles in Dubai. I’m heading to Nashville in two weeks’ time for an art residency.
“People want to interact now so there’s an opportunity to bring art to life.
“It’s really exciting to be able to travel again and bring art to the people. My work might take me to other countries but my flag is firmly planted in Scotland.
“I’m from Inverclyde, from my studio window I can see the water, the hills and mountains that I grew up with and that’s a powerful thing.
“In terms of Scottish culture. I feel like there’s a new group of creatives coming through who’ve never had a light shined on them before.”
https://craig.black/
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